The Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

Safety equipment for children in motor vehicles

26.—(1) The Department may make regulations prescribing (by reference to shape, construction or any other quality) types of equipment of any description to which this Article applies that are recommended as conducive to the safety in the event of accident of prescribed classes of children in prescribed classes of motor vehicles.

(2) Regulations under this Article may make provision for securing that when equipment of a type prescribed by the regulations is sold, or offered or exposed for sale, as equipment which is so conducive—

(a) appropriate information is provided in relation to it in such manner as may be prescribed; and

(b) inappropriate information is not provided in relation to it.

(3) Except in such circumstances as may be prescribed, if a person sells, or offers or exposes for sale, equipment of any description for which a type is prescribed under this Article as equipment which is so conducive and that equipment

(a) is not of a type so prescribed, or

(b) is sold, or offered or exposed for sale, in contravention of regulations under this Article,

he is, subject to paragraph (5), guilty of an offence.

(4) Except in such circumstances as may be prescribed, if a person sells, or offers or exposes for sale, equipment of any description for which a type is prescribed under this Article as equipment conducive to the safety in the event of accident

(a) of children not of a class prescribed in relation to equipment of that type, or

(b) of children in motor vehicles not of a class prescribed in relation to equipment of that type,

he is, subject to paragraph (5), guilty of an offence.

(5) A person shall not be convicted of an offence under this Article in respect of the sale, or offering or exposing for sale, of equipment if he proves that it was sold or, as the case may be, offered or exposed for sale for export from Northern Ireland.

(6) The provisions of Schedule 1 shall have effect in relation to contraventions of this Article.

(7) This Article applies to equipment of any description for use in a motor vehicle consisting of—

(a) a restraining device for a child or for a carry-cot, or

(b) equipment designed for use by a child in conjunction with any description of restraining device.

(8) References in this Article to selling or sale include references to letting on hire and offering or exposing for sale shall be construed accordingly.